Team Nike may have scored the first and final baskets in Monday's exhibition game against Duke, but little else went right in between the opening and closing seconds for the group of former college players, as the Blue Devils dominated their overmatched opponents 103-63.
After a basket by former Temple player Will Cunningham gave Nike a 2-0 lead to open the game, Duke used a barrage of three-point shots from veterans Dahntay Jones, Daniel Ewing and Nick Horvath to take a commanding 15-2 lead and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Continuing a trend reminiscent of recent years, the Blue Devils attempted 31 shots from behind the arc, connecting on 17. Even the big men got involved from downtown, as freshman center Shelden Williams and freshman forward Shavlik Randolph showed their range by draining the only threes that they attempted.
"I'm not sure that each game we're going to have [that many three-point shots]," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "But we have people who can hit stand-still shots, and with three penetrators like Chris [Duhon], Sean [Dockery] and Dahntay [Jones], people will be put in positions where they're facing the basket with stand-still shots.
"Our big guys are real unselfish, so when you hit in they can relocate pretty well. Our threes were open shots, but I'm not sure that we'll get that against a more organized team. These guys are good players, but they haven't practiced much together as a team."
When the Blue Devils did choose to go inside against Team Nike, their big men responded well. Randolph led Duke with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Williams chipped in with 13 points and eight rebounds.
The strong inside presence of Randolph and Williams--who started for Duke along with Duhon, Jones and Ewing--add versatility to the Blue Devils' offense.
"We just take what the defense gives us," Duhon said. "We're going to be more of a balanced team this year where we can go inside or outside. Other teams just can't be concerned about the perimeter. We have a lot of talented big men who can score down there and give us an inside presence."
The inside game against Team Nike was bolstered by the strong play of Duhon, who turned in the only double-double of the night with 10 points and 10 assists, including eight in the first half alone.
Duhon, who was chosen as the ACC preseason Player of the Year, attempted only five shots but was very effective in his role as floor leader.
"I thought Duhon really ran our team well tonight, pushing it up, pressuring the ball and playing with a lot of energy," Krzyzewski said. "I think we all responded to it. Just that enthusiasm to play rubs off on the other guys. Duhon's role has nothing to do with shots. Duhon's role has to do with Duke having more points than the other team."
In addition to its offensive output, Duke played its trademark tough defense, holding Team Nike to 33 percent shooting in the first half and 38 percent for the game.
Nike's leading scorer, guard Darren Kelly of Texas, managed just 13 points on the night. Cunningham and Cordell Henry were the only other Nike players to reach double figures, scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Duke's tenacious pursuit on the defensive end, led by Dockery's game-high six steals, resulted in 23 Nike turnovers and 31 fast-break points for the Blue Devils.
"In high school, one of the things that I loved about [Dockery] was his defensive ability, not just on the ball but off the ball," Krzyzewski said. "That's a big plus if you can bring a kid off the bench who wants to make an impact defensively."
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